Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

What can be done to reduce the amount of food items that get discarded each day by convenience stores and supermarkets?

Have Your Say Nov. 06, 2011 - 07:47AM JST ( 9 )

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9 Comments

1

some14someNov. 06, 2011 - 08:03AM JST

They should buy less quantities and sell at cheaper price.
1

FarmboyNov. 06, 2011 - 09:41AM JST

Well, in the US, some cities let stores donate the excess goods to homeless shelters. In other cities, this is not allowed for health or insurance reasons.

Another possibility, in Japan, is to start a dumpster diving TV show ... it might catch on.
1

FrungyNov. 06, 2011 - 07:22PM JST

The supermarket chain near me recycles discarded food into fertilizer which is gives sells to local farmers who supply their stores at a discounted rate. This seems like a solid concept.

Back home my church group ran a soup kitchen for the homeless, and we got most of the ingredients for the food from local supermarkets for free on the day that the food reached it's "best before". When you're making stuff like stews and soups, and the food is going to be boiled for a good long time then there is absolutely no risk with this method and it sure as hell beats the homeless having to go "dumpster diving". ... of course Japan is persistent in denying that there are any homeless people, so this approach might not float here.

Of course the best method is for supermarkets to source product locally, as this reduces the length of the supply chain, making it possible to order smaller quantities more frequently (run out of apples after the lunch-time rush? no problem, call your supplier up the road and order another two boxes to arrive in two hours), results in fresher food, and reduces the enviromental impact (shorter transportation distance = less pollution).

Other methods that are used are: - Irradiating fruit and veg to increase shelf life (alternatively just drive the truck through Fukushima) - Decreasing the temperature in the perishable foods section (just a few degrees lower increases the shelf life) - but this isn't very environmentally friendly because of the byproducts of cooling technology - Repackaging - This is done with some meat, like chicken, where "expired" meat is sent back to the supplier, washed down with chemicals and antibiotics, cut down and any decayed flesh discarded, then repackaged... yes, those chicken legs probably started out as a whole chicken, were sent back, then washed down, hacked off, repacked and sent out again as "zombie" frozen chicken legs. - Just changing the expiry date on the food and hoping no-one dies
2

GurukunNov. 07, 2011 - 09:40AM JST

Sell it at reduced prices like the large department stores do.
1

JapanGalNov. 07, 2011 - 12:35PM JST

My nearby food stores mark it down. They can do the same.
-1

as_the_crow_fliesNov. 07, 2011 - 07:04PM JST

If you don't like the massive food waste that happens here, there's another thing you can do - vote with your feet, and stop buying ready-made meals from convenience stores. If demand drops, they'll soon reduce the amount they put on sale. I've been taking my own lunch to work for a couple of years now, and saving myself over 150,000 yen a year into the bargain.
0

whiskeysourNov. 07, 2011 - 09:23PM JST

Donate it to welfare families, homeless families, and etc.

Throwing food away is very bad thing to do.

In America, so much food is discarded
-1

ramses68Nov. 09, 2011 - 01:19PM JST

Increase preservatives, so it lasts longer. Scientists say they won't harm you. ;)
0

kurisupisuNov. 18, 2011 - 08:42AM JST

Change the law!